Jonathan over at Irregular Times also takes note that the U.S. media is avoiding the White Phosphorus story. I’ve it mentioned on CNN today though as expected it is given the usual spin by spinboy Blitzer. Amazing how they can frame a story is it not? CNN, the Cleaned-up News Network. Nothing dirty going on here, no sir!

Jonathan also takes note of The Effects of White Phosphorus, correctly suggesting that it is indeed a chemical weapon. As the BBC reports:

“If particles of ignited white phosphorus land on a person’s skin, they can continue to burn right through flesh to the bone. Toxic phosphoric acid can also be released into wounds, risking phosphorus poisoning.

Skin burns must be immersed in water or covered with wet cloths to prevent re-combustion until the particles can be removed.

Exposure to white phosphorus smoke in the air can also cause liver, kidney, heart, lung or bone damage and even death.
Sure sounds like a chemical weapon to me. White Phosphorus is a chemical substance that interacts chemically with the human body. It burns the skin and flesh, if inhaled it chemically burns the lungs and other internal organs. In what world, what language, can this weapon be defined as conventional?

As to the assertion that this is legal as long as the weapon is targeted at enemy combatants and not used indiscriminately, I would like to see proof that the military is telling the truth. Proof and I’d like it to be verified by parties outside of the U.S. government. Further, I’d like to see proof that not a single civilian was murdered by white phosphorus. See the problem with the government’s very specific and careful use of language is that they are not so specific and careful with the actual application of weaponry. No, the military may not target civilians with white phosphorus but you can bet your ass that many of those that endured the agony of this chemical weapon during their last moments of life were indeed civilans.

The web of lies and omissions is never ending and I see no reason at this point to believe anything put forth by the military or the administration.

I’m never surprised by the government’s lies and the complicity of the media in reporting those lies. One might even say that it is the real function of the media is to lie and that it has become nothing more than a mouthpiece of government. Of course there are excellent examples of non-corporate media that function critically and which do so regardless of who is in power. It’s increasingly obvious that independent internet news sites and blogs are filling in the void of information with a more complete version of the “truth”.

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